BeansTalk Biz Newsletter

BeansTalk News: Daily news on fashion, beauty, film, television, books -- all media -- and anything else of relevant interest. (View the current month in its news entirety by clicking the date under Archives.)

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Celebrity Spotting

BeansTalk saw George Lucas outside the Apple store at Los Angeles' Beverly Center Mall, pushing his 14-month-old daughter, Everest Hobson Lucas, in a stroller, early afternoon, on Wednesday, 22 October 2014. (He looked just like he does in this photo.)

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Guilty Pleasure

We actually aren't loathe to admit it: we watch MTV's "Teen Wolf," even though it's gotten to the point where it often aggravates us.

The mythology of the series has always been a combination of commonly known/accepted lore with convoluted tales introduced for dramatic and creepy effect, but then dismissed without much (if any) explanation (an example from the recently aired episodes -- the man-without-a-mouth and the animal-skull wearing demons; earlier in the season, the black smoke that turned into Ninjas and back again were never satisfactorily incorporated into the storyline).

The actors -- parents and "teens" -- are primarily all within a few years in age, which can be awkward. It took us a couple of episodes in the first season to distinguish the difference between Scott's mother and his girlfriend in the first season (and, no surprise, really, when there's actually only an 11-year age difference tween the two).

It's also of particular annoyance when a character who has been dispatched is resurrected for whatever caprice the show runners decide upon (i.e. Gerard and Kate Argent). TW is particularly good at offering up characters who viewers (us, at least) can't wait to be killed (including the aforementioned Gerard, Victoria Argent, and Ethan and Aiden). The actors who played those twins the Carvers, have since moved over to HBO and its new series, "The Leftovers." We were shocked that they were o.k. in the new series, since they were horrible in TW.

Acting is never the strong suit of TW -- notably the aforementioned Carver twins, Eaddy Mays (Victoria), Michael Hogan (Gerard) and the too-model-y Hales, played by Tyler Hoechlin and Ian Bohen. Included in the limited acting skills is the still-likable star, Tyler Posey. Check out, too, the scene-chewing when Joy Luck Club alum, Tamlyn Tomita is on screen; she could afford to dial it down a bit, as could JR Bourne (Mr. Argent), but that might not be an entirely fair assessment, as Argent's role was limited to grimacing and glowering; his character's recent return may give the actor a chance to grow.

There are, however, a few exceptions, and good performances are regularly delivered by Linden Ashby (Sheriff Stilinski), Melissa Ponzio (Melissa McCall), and the now-departed British actor Daniel Sharman (Issac).

One actor who is a total standout, and will likely have a very healthy post-TW career -- Dylan O'Brien, who plays sidekick Stiles. Later this summer, he'll star in the theatrical release The Mazerunner. O'Brien may be the only reason we continue to tune into the show.

The new (and new-ish) regulars are serviceable, and include Arden Cho, Shelley Hennig and Dylan Sprayberry (although, in our opinion, the jury is still out on Sprayberry). Sprayberry, who plays freshman Liam, seems easily poised to take over as the eponymous Teen Wolf, if the need arises. As the cast grows, it reduces Ashby's and Ponzio's roles to expository, which is a shame, but it's obvious who the audience is for the series, and despite their chops, they aren't in the correct age bracket.

Despite our status as regular viewer, we're not sure if we can actually recommend the series, which, at this point, in the second-half of the fourth season, is quite a commitment, if you haven't been watching. Still, if you're nursing the measles or a broken leg, TW can be fun company.

Sweetly feminine yet distinctly alluring, Petunia is an irresistible mix of pretty and provocative. It's delicately embroidered with multi-coloured blooms and seductively cut to create dangerous curves. Based on the best-selling Mercy shape, this padded corset is crafted from super-sheer black tulle, decorated with a delicately-hued floral motif, which creates a pretty scalloped edge along the neck, bust and hips. French lace ribbon runs along the bones, hem and hip, helping to accentuate the seductive female form.

Petunia Thong

$150

Sweetly feminine yet distinctly alluring, Petunia is an irresistible mix of pretty and provocative. It's delicately embroidered with multi-coloured blooms and seductively cut to create dangerous curves. The thong is made from super-sheer black tulle, decorated with black French embroidery punctuated by a delicately-hued floral motif, creating a pretty scalloped edge along the waist. The legline is trimmed with lilac and black French lace ribbon, while ribbon slot bows sit at each hip.

Friday, May 02, 2014

Clutch Carrier

Thursday, May 01, 2014

BeansTalk's Back!

We're Back On Summer's Heels

We're back! For our 10-year-anniversary, we took a break. Our new career was preoccupying us and didn't give us enough time to dedicate to BeansTalk Biz, but we're back, with all kinds of cool ideas and events.

One of our favorite Fox girls (“New Girl’s” Zooey Deschanel is the other), Mindy Kaling, wore this David Meister white jersey one shoulder evening gown with silver beaded bodice (seen here in Meister’s runway show) to the White House State Dinner honoring President François Hollande of France. She is looking super SASSY lately!

We especially like her real-life take on items she buys herself (she identifies if she's gifted anything) and came across her when we were trying to figure out what those spiral curler things were (Curlforms). We've watched numerous videos, much to the alternate amusement and chagrin of our CEO and CFO.

It took BeansTalk all of a minute to grow accustom (and eventually fond) of her OTT antics, loud voice (she has hearing issues, people!), rapid-fire banter and playful (at least it is to us) mugging.

Friday, February 28, 2014

The Annual Oscar Luncheon

And BeansTalk is There

By Elaine Sanchez Wilson

BeansTalk Contributor

Fashion, food, and philanthropy joined forces to kick off
awards season at the 6th annual Valentine Romance Oscar Style Lounge
and Party, an all-day fete effortlessly pulled off by the expert hands of PR
veteran Doris Bergman. Inside West Hollywood's swanky chic Fig & Olive
restaurant, cast and crew from the silver and small screens schmoozed with
vendors representing an array of lifestyle products.

The invitation-only event, hosted by Begley & Begley's
100% All Natural Sodas and presented by Whitening Lightening & Nature's
Flavors, featured an assortment of women's and men's fashion accessories, body,
skin and hair care lines, fine art, decadent desserts, and premiere cocktails.
While the gifts were certainly luxurious (a straw hat displayed at Baron Hat's
booth would reportedly sell for $10,000), the party also shone a light onto the
needs of the less affluent. Guests were encouraged to donate new or gently used
articles of clothing and accessories for a Valentine's Day Gift Drive
benefiting “Wednesday's Child,” a weekly segment that airs on Fox 11 News, Los
Angeles. Anchor Christine Devine was on hand to discuss the program, which aims
to unite “harder to place” foster children from Los Angeles County with
adoptive families (wednesdayschild.davethomasfoundation.org).

““In Los Angeles
County, alone, there are over 30,000 children receiving child welfare
services,” said social worker, William Wong. “This event reached far beyond the
Hollywood ‘glitz’ and into the heart and soul.”

Also embracing the humanitarian spirit, Hollywood hat-maker
Mark Mejia, president and CEO of Baron Hats (http://baronhats.com), discussed
his intent to organize a medical mission to the Philippines, where he has
worked with Filipino craftsmen. “This is a dying art,” said Patti Gardner,
Mejia's personal assistant. “And what's happening is that Mark is trying to
save this dying art.” Mejia's custom hats are hand-woven in Ecuador, take anywhere
from eight weeks to six months to finish, and retail for around $10,000. They
can be seen in The Lone Ranger and Django Unchained, in addition
to the billboard poster for FX series Justified.

Occupying a prime spot at the entrance of the suite, designer
Timmy Woods, of Timmy Woods Beverly Hills (www.timmywoods.com), showed off
handmade bags that double as home furnishing collectibles. Her wearable art
creations, which can take upwards of 30 days to complete, are a wonderfully
eccentric mix of quirk and kitsch (a pair of cat-eye sunglasses, a
black-an-white striped feline, and an Eiffel Tower replica were among the items
on display). “They are usually extensions of people's personalities,” Woods
said, adding that if all goes as planned, she will be working on a bag for
Oscar nominee Sandra Bullock. “It has to feel like it's part of you. They're
very psychological.”

At Poof your Pouch
(https://www.facebook.com/pages/Poof-your-Pooch/548792331871278), a small crowd
oohed and aahed over charming brown-and-white chihuahua Sophie, who was decked
out in a pretty floral harness. According to owner Cori Stockman, the
one-of-a-kind Poofs are interchangeable, are available in a wide range of
flower types and colors, and retail for $40. And over at event sponsor Whitening
Lightening (http://www.whiteninglightning.com),
president and CEO Jen Gerard talked about why herhigh-grade whitening
gels are a celebrity favorite. “Sensitivity isn't a factor because the gel doesn't
strip away the enamel,” she explained.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Steve Jobs' TreasureTime Capsule Containing Steve Jobs’ Apple Lisa MouseConsidered Lost for More Than 10 Years but Uncovered 30 Years LaterFootage of the Capsule, Its Contents and the Excavation Available for Download

A time capsule containing the mouse from Steve Jobs’ first mass-marketed Lisa computer was uncovered in September 2013 on the grounds of the Aspen Music Festival in Aspen, Colo. The finding was made by National Geographic Channel’s Diggers team for the kick-off episode of the second season, airing tonight, Tuesday, Feb. 25, at 10 p.m. ET/PT, one day after what would have been Steve Jobs’ 59th birthday. Diggers airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
Footage of the capsule, its contents and the excavation is available here.
Stills are available here.

Steve Jobs' "Lisa" computer.

Buried in 1983 during the now-defunct International Design Conference in Aspen, the tube was intended to be unearthed in 2000, but due to changes in the landscape, its exact location was unknown — until now. Working closely with the Aspen Music Festival and School and Harry Teague, one of the original members of the design team that buried the capsule, the Diggers team was able to narrow down the time capsule’s location using original survey coordinates and good old-fashioned math. The capsule was carefully excavated under the supervision of Diggers archaeologist Michael Durkin, and the contents of the capsule will be cataloged and evaluated before being turned over to the Aspen Historical Society.

Steve Jobs and his daughter, Lisa, the namesake of his computer.

In addition to the Lisa mouse, the contents of the 13-foot-long capsule include a mix of early ’80s relics: an eight-track recording of The Moody Blues, a Sears Roebuck catalog, a June 1983 copy of Vogue Magazine, a Rubik’s Cube and a six-pack of beer. The time capsule was related to the theme of the conference, “The Future Is Not What It Used to Be.” At the conference, before donating the mouse, Jobs addressed the crowd in a speech that many believe predicted some of Apple’s great innovations to come, including the iPad, wireless networking and even the Apple App Store.

In the Diggers series, Tim “Ringy” Saylor and George “KG” Wyant scour the country for lost pieces of American history — from Civil War buckles to family heirloom rings and silver coins. Where there is an empty yard, field or beach approved for metal detecting, the duo see a treasure trove, and will go the distance to uncover “the juice,” as they call it, working in close collaboration with a local archaeologist or historian at every site. It’s not just the raw value of the object that gets them excited; it’s the thrill of the hunt and the possibility that the next artifact they dig up could yield the discovery of a lifetime or, in this case, a significant piece of tech — and pop culture — history!

For more information, visit www.natgeotv.com/diggers and follow us on Twitter at @NGC_PR.

Monday, February 24, 2014

Honorable Indie

Tribeca Film will be releasing Hide Your Smiling Faces theatrically on March 28 (available on demand March 25). Daniel Patrick Carbone’s acclaimed debut was recognized recently with the “Best Film Still Awaiting U.S. Distribution” from the National Society of Film Critics Awards and played to rave reviews when it premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival and the Tribeca Film Festival.

“Daniel Patrick Carbone is a true discovery and a revelation -- a bright, thoughtful filmmaker who’s now one to immediately pay attention to and watch.” – Rodrigo Perez, Indiewire’s The Playlist

"An evocative portrait” – Stephen Holden, New York Times

Tribeca Film today announced it has acquired North American rights to Daniel Patrick Carbone’s acclaimed directorial debut Hide Your Smiling Faces, which was recognized recently with the “Best Film Still Awaiting U.S. Distribution” from the National Society of Film Critics Awards. Written and directed by Carbone, the film played to rave reviews when it premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival and the Tribeca Film Festival, and received the New Directors Award at the Starz Denver Film Festival. The film will be released day-and-date beginning March 25, 2014 on cable/telco and satellite video-on-demand and digital platforms, followed by a theatrical release beginning March 28, 2014.

A dreamlike portrait of adolescence, Hide Your Smiling Faces explores rural American life through the distorted lens of youth. Unfolding over one hot, hazy summer, the film follows two young brothers -- nine-year-old Tommy (Ryan Jones) and 14-year-old Eric (Nathan Varnson) -- as they come to terms with the mysterious death of one of Tommy's friends.

“Rarely do we see as assured a debut as director Daniel Carbone makes in Hide Your Smiling Faces, said Geoff Gilmore, Chief Creative Officer, Tribeca Enterprises. “This marvelous tapestry of adolescent angst, sibling rivalry, and the effects of the mysterious demise of their friend has on two brothers is only part of what makes this solemn but riveting work carry such an emotional impact.”

“My hope is that this film, told from the distinct perspective of its two young protagonists, will compel viewers to reflect on their own adolescence,” said Daniel Carbone. “I am thrilled to be partnering with Tribeca Film, a bold and forward-thinking company of true film lovers, to bring Hide Your Smiling Faces to a wider audience."

The deal was negotiated for Tribeca Film by Nick Savva and Alison Diviney, and George Rush on behalf of the filmmakers.

Editor’s note: A film still can be accessed at the following link: http://tribecafilm.com/press-center/tribeca-film/hysf-still

About Tribeca Film
Tribeca Film is a comprehensive distribution label dedicated to acquiring and releasing independent films across multiple platforms, including theatrical, video-on-demand, digital, home video and television. It is an initiative from Tribeca Enterprises designed to provide new platforms for how film can be experienced, while supporting filmmakers and introducing audiences to films they might not otherwise see. Current and upcoming Tribeca Film releases include the the award-winning The Broken Circle Breakdown, Neil LaBute’s Some Velvet Morning starring Stanley Tucci and Alice Eve, Francesca Gregorini's The Truth About Emanuel, Gia Coppola’s Palo Alto, and David MacKenzie’s Starred Up.